B.C. to release reports on money laundering by organized crime in real estate

B.C. to release reports on money laundering by organized crime in real estate

VICTORIA — Two independent reports commissioned by British Columbia’s government to probe money laundering in the province’s real estate sector are set to be released today.

Finance Minister Carole James and Attorney General David Eby have called a news conference to release the findings of the two reviews launched last September.

The reviews aim to shed light on money laundering by organized crime in real estate after last June’s report on dirty money in casinos by former RCMP deputy commissioner Peter German.

Following the gaming report, German was appointed to conduct a second review to focus on identifying the scale and scope of illicit activity in the real estate market.

James appointed former deputy attorney general Maureen Maloney to oversee an expert panel to review money laundering in real estate and the financial service sectors and identify regulatory gaps exploited by organized crime.

Portions of German’s second report on the limited police resources dedicated to fighting money laundering in B.C. and links to luxury vehicle sales and horse racing have already been released.